Liquid metering valve unit



June 8, 1965 A. F. WOLF 3,137,943

LIQUID METERING VALVE UNIT Filed April 11, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 as Z 24 i 4 W x 41 28 46 INVENTOR. M a; W

A F. WOLF 3 ,187,943

LIQUID: METERING VAEV'EI UNIT.

June: 8,. 1965:

Filed April 11-, 1,963 2" Sheets-Sheet 2 Q-fl 4 Q, 25 f i Z2 32 I INVENTOR M 7 United States Patent" 20 3,187,943 LIQUID METERING VALVE UNIT Arnold F. Wolf, 5511 Warren Ave., Morton Grove, Ill.

Filed Apr. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 272,467

3 fiiaims. (Cl. 222-20) This invention relates in general to a liquid metering valve unit and more particularly to a Water metering valve which can be opened easily despite large water pressures at the valve. 7

Basically the present invention'comprises an improvement in the metering valve disclosed in application Serial No. 36,242 filed June 15, 1960 by Steven Charnota and Arnold F. Wolf, now Patent No. 3,079,792. In that application, a liquid metering valve unit was shown in which water for lawn splinkler use was metered by means of a turbine that was driven at a rate dependent on the volume of water passed in any given time interval. The turbine in turn permitted closure of a valve when it had been driven a predetermined distance so that the total amount of water passed by the valve corresponded to a selected setting. The selected setting was controlled by a knob which was manually lifted and moved from a home position to the desired setting. When the knob was lifted and moved from its home position, the valve was opened so that the turbine was operated and it returned the knob to the home position.

In order to lift the knob and open the valve, it was necessary to exert sufficient force to counteract the water pressure. This was often times difiicult to do since the water pressure might be quite considerable and can often reach as-high as 150 psi.

In the present invention this problem of lifting the valve against the water pressure is avoided by simply separating the valve opening function from the lifting of the control knob and utilizing a cam to open the valve when the knob is rotated in its lifted position. Thus the knob is arranged to be disengaged from the valve when in its home position so that the knob may be easily lifted. The knob lifting brings a cam into alignment with the valve stem, and the cam opens the valve with minimum force during rotation of the knob to the desired setting.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved Water metering valve unit which is readily opened even though the water pressure at the unit inlet be extremely high.

It is another object of this invention to provide animproved manually operated valve opening and liquid metering arrangement in a metering valve unit.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent on examination of the following specification and claims together with the drawings where- FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of the metering valve unit;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View of the metering valve unit taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with a portion of the valve housing omitted and illustrating the raised position of the camming wheel and control knob;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4- 4 in FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the manner in which the camming wheel and valve stem are engaged when the valve is in its open position.

In FIG. 1, the metering valve unit is indicated generally by the reference character 10. It comprises a cup-shaped top housing 12 and a bottom housing 14 having a sealing gasket 16 therebetween. A passageway 18 extends 3,187,943 Patented June 8, 1965 through the gasket and between the housings as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The bottom housing 14 is provided with an inlet fitting 20 which protrudes from the housing. A valve member 22 is adapted to be engaged with the fitting 20, and it has a stem 24 extending through the fitting 20 into the interior of the housing 14. A coupling 26 is carried on the protrud ing end of the fitting 20 to permit the inlet to be connected to a suitable water source and a strainer 28 is located in the coupling unit 26 to prevent the intake of impurities.

The inlet fitting 2t) communicates with a passageway 30 in the housing 14. Walls 32 of this passageway, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, are angled to direct the entering water to blades 33 of a turbine wheel or impeller 34 with a tangential component of velocity. The wheel 34 is located in a turbine chamber 36 formed in the bottom housing 14. The valve stem 24 also extends through the passageway 34 and through one wall 32 into the turbine chamber 36 for engagement with the periphery of camming wheel 38. The wheel 38 is located below the turbine wheel in the chamber 36. A flange 46 is provided on the stem 24 for enabling a spring '41 located in the passageway 3d normally to bias the valve member 22 toward a closed position against a valve seat at the end of fitting 2t and the stem 24 against the periphery of the wheel 38.

The wheels 34 and 38 are coaxially mounted on an elongate spindle 42 with the turbine wheel 34 being freely rotatable on the spindle. The spindle extends through the gasket opening 18 and a gear chamber 4.4 formed in the upper housing 12. The cam Wheel 38 is provided with a generally circular periphery 45 having a slot 46 therein lying parallel to the axis of the spindle 42 and horizontally aligned with the stem 24. The slot 46 is dimensioned to receive the end of the valve stem 24 and is joined in a plane lying below the 'stem 24 to a pair of oppositely extending camming faces 48. The faces 48 slope outwardly to meet and merge with the generally circular periphery 45 of Wheel 38. When the slot 46 is aligned with the stem 24, the spring 41 moves the stem into the slot until the valve member 22 is seated and closes the inlet to the fitting 2d. The wheel 38 may then be lifted or lowered by movement along its axis without exerting pressure on the stem 24 or valve member 22. A web 4 portion 5% connects the periphery 45 of wheel 38 to a hub portion 52 which is secured to the spindle 42 by a pin 53 so that the spindle and cam wheel rotate as a unit and may be moved vertically as a unit. The web portion 59 is provided with series of apertures 54 to reduce the interference of any water pressure to its vertical movement and to accommodate free flow of water.

. Directly below the turbine chamber 36, a water outlet passageway 56 is provided and this extends through a spud portion 58 formed in housing 14. Threads 59 formedon the spud 58 permit connection to a hose or a water sprinkler, for example. i

The spindle 42 is journaled at its lower end in the lower wall 60 of housing 14 and adjacent its upper end in the hub 62 of a gear 64. The hub 62 of the gear 64 extends through the top wall 66 of housing 12 and is sealed by an appropriate ring 68. The hub 62 is provided with a recess 70 encircling the spindle 42, and a spring '72 mounted in the recess 79 and acting against a washer or the like 73 carried on the spindle 42, biases the spindle 42 and cam wheel 38 downwardly. An 0- ring '74 seals the spindle passage through the hub 62.

A dial plate 75 is mounted on the outer surface of the top wall 66 of the housing 12 and is adapted to be moved by the hub 62. A clamping washer 76 prevents vertical shifting of the dial plate 75 and the hub 62. A series of markings or graduations 77 are provided on the top Wall 66 adjacent the dial plate and one marking corresponds to the home or OFF position in which the cam slot 46 is aligned with the valve stem 24. The other markings 77. correspond to desired quantities of water that may be selected to pass through the valve unit by movement of a control knob 80. l

The control knob 80 has a pointer 82 turnable to one of the graduations 77, and it is mounted in the end of spindle 42. A pin 84 connects the knob 80 to spindle 42 and enables the knob to be used for rotating and lifting the spindle 42 and cam wheel 38. The knob 80 when in its lowered position is adapted to frictionally engage the dial plate 75 and move therewith.

A Worm 86 rotatablycarried on the spindle 42 above and integral with the turbine wheel 34 transmits the motion of the turbinewheel 34 through a speed reducing gear train comprising the gear 88, worm t), gear 92, Worm M, gear '96 and worm 98 to the gear 64 thereby moving the dial plate 75 and knob 80 in the direction toward the home or OFF position at a rate dependent on the volume of water passed by the turbine wheel 34,. The gears and worms are arranged in a manner similar to that described in the aforementioned application and are journaled in the walls of housings 12 and 14 or in suitable journal blocks carried between Walls such as 100 in the housing 12.

When the slot 46 is aligned with the valve stem 24, the pressure of the Water and the spring 41 maintain the valve member 22 closed. No water at inlet pressure is in theunit and no force other than that of the spring 72 acts against lifting the wheel 38. V The knob 86 and wheel 38 may then be freely lifted and the stem 24 is engaged with one of the cams or camming faces 48. The knob 8% may be rotated to a desired setting or position during which the valve member 22 is cammed open.

The stem 24 then bears against the circular periphery of wheel 38 and only nominal pressure is necessary to lower the knob 85) into engagement with the dial plate 75. The Wheel 38 is then also lowered so that the slot 46 is level with stem 24. The knob 8t) is thus rotated to a position corresponding to adesired amount of water to be passed through the unitand then engaged with the dial plate.

Water flows under pressure through the inlet and turbine chamber 36 to. the outlet passageway 55. The turbine wheel '34 is rotated to drive thespeed reducing gear train to rotate gear 64 and the dial plate 75. The dial plate 75 in turn moves the knob 80, spindle 4-2 and wheel 38 toward theirhome position at a rate dependent on the turbine speed and therefore the water pressure and volume of water metered per time unit. When cam Wheel 38 returns to its home position, the slot 46 is aligned with the stem 24- and the spring 41 together with the Water pressure biases the valve member 22 to closed position. Thereafter the valve may again be opened in the simple manner described and Without excessive effort.

While a preferred embodiment of the metering valve unit of this invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications may be made without departing from the underlying principles of this invention. It is therefore desired, by the following claims, to include within the scope of the invention all such modifications and variations by which substantially the results of this invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A liquid metering valveunit having means for passing liquid from an inlet passage through a turbine chamber to an outlet passage with said inlet passage adapted to be closed by a valve and said turbine chamber having a turbine wheel adapted to drive a speed reducing gear train for operating a dial plate, the improvement comprising, a stern for said valve extending into said turbine chamber, a circular element mounted on an axially movable spindle in said chamber and adapted to have its circular periphery engaged with one end of said stem for holding said valve open against the pressure of said liquid, means for biasing said stem and valve into closed position, said element having a rotation preventing slot formed partially across a portion of its periphery and extending parallel to said spindle for enabling said valve to be biased into said closed position when said slot is aligned with said stem, recessed camming faces adjoining and connected with said slot partially across that portion of the periphery of said element adjacent said slot and said first mentioned periphery portion and rising to said circular periphery, other means for biasing said rotatable element in one direction along the axis of said spindle to place said camming faces in a different plane from said stem, and means releasably interconnected with said dial plate by the bias of said other means and adapted to enable the manual movement of said rotatable element along said spindle axis while being released from said dial plate to place said camming faces in the same plane as said stem whereafter said spindle and element are adapted to be rotated for engaging one of said camming faces with said stem thereby to cam said valve into its open position and enable the passage of liquid through said inlet passage and turbine chamber to said outlet.

2. A liquid metering valve uni-t having means for passing liquid from an inlet passage through a turbine chamber to an outlet passage with said inlet passage adapted to be closed by a valve and said turbine chamber having a turbine wheel adapted to drive a speed reducing gear train for operating a dial plate, the improvement comprising, a stem for said valve extending into said turbine chamber, a circular element mountedon an axially movable spindle in said chamber and adapted to have its circular periphery engaged with one end of said stem for holding said valve open against the pressure of said liquid, means for biasing said stem and valve into closed position, said element having a rotation preventing slot formed partially across a portion of its periphery and extending parallel to said spindle for enabling said valve to be biased into said closed po'sitionwhen said slot is aligned with said stern, recessed camming faces adjoining and connected with said slot partially across that portion of the periphery of said element adjacent said slot and said first mentioned periphery portion and rising to said circular periphery, other means for biasing said rotatable element in one direction along the axis of said spindle to place said cam-rning faces in a different plane from said stem, means releasably interconnected with said dial plate by the bias of said othermeans and adapted to enable the manual movement of said rotatable element along said spindle axis while being released from said dial plate to place said ca-mming faces in the same plane as said stem whereafter'said spindle and element are adapted to be rotated for engaging one of said camrning faces with said stem thereby to cam said valve into its open position and enable the passage of liquid through said inlet passage and turbine chamber to said outlet, said stem being thereafter engaged with said circular periphery to permit said element to be moved along said axis and for engaging said releasable means with said dial plate Whereafter said gearing rotates said dial plate, spindle, and element until said slot is aligned with said stem whereafter said valve is biased into its closed position.

3. A liquid metering valve unit comprising in combination, a casing having formed therein an inlet, an outlet, and a turbine chamber interposed between said inlet and said outlet and in communication therewith, a valve having a stem extending into said turbine chamber and biased for closing said inlet to the flow of liquid, a rotatable element in said chamber having a periphery defining a cylinder with a motion preventing slot extending partially across a portion of said cylinder and along the axis of said cylinder, said. cylinder being adapted to be 5 engaged with one end of said stem for holding said valve open against said bias, said slot enabling said valve to be biased into said closed position when said slot is aligned with said stern, recessed ca-rnming faces partially across that portion of said cylinder adjacent said slot and said first mentioned cylinder portion, the bottom of said slot and the bases of said camming faces being coplanar and continuous with each other so that said slot is connected with said camming faces, means for biasing said rota-table element in one direction along its axis to place said camrning faces in a diflerent plane from said stem, and means for manually moving said rotatable element against said bias to place said camrning face-s in the same plane as said stem and for thereafter rotating said element and camming faces to engage one of said faces with said stem and thereby cam said valve into its open position for enabling the passage of liquid through said inlet, turbine chamber, and outlet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,85 7,627 5/ 32 Elder 222-20 2,224,540 12/40 Fraser 22220 X 2,589,650 3/52 Wolcot-t 22220 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. A LIQUID METERING VALVE UNIT HAVING MEANS FOR PASSING LIQUID FROM AN INLET PASSAGE THROUGH A TURBINE CHAMBER TO AN OUTLET PASSAGE WITH SAID INLET PASSAGE ADAPTED TO BE CLOSED BY A VALVE AND SAID TURBINE CHAMBER HAVING A TURBINE WHEEL ADAPTED TO DRIVE A SPEED REDUCING GEAR TRAIN FOR OPERATING A DIAL PLATE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, A STEM FOR SAID VALVE EXTENDING INTO SAID TURBINE CHAMBER, A CIRCULAR ELEMENT MOUNTED ON AN AXIALLY MOVABLE SPINDLE IN SAID CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO HAVE ITS CIRCULAR PERIPHERY ENGAGED WITH ONE END OF SAID STEM FOR HOLDING SAID VALVE OPEN AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF SAID LIQUID, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID STEM AND VALVE INTO CLOSED POSITION, SAID ELEMENT HAVING A ROTATION PREVENTING SLOT FORMED PARTIALLY ACROSS A PORTION OF ITS PERIPHERY AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID SPINDLE FOR ENABLING SAID VALVE TO BE BIASED INTO SAID CLOSED POSITION WHEN SAID SLOT IS ALIGNED WITH SAID STEM RECESSED CAMMING FACES ADJOINING AND CONNECTED WITH SAID SLOT PARTIALLY ACROSS THAT PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ELEMENT ADJACENT SAID SLOT AND SAID FIRST MENTIONED PERIPHERY PORTION AND RISING TO SAID CIRCULAR PERIPHERY, OTHER MEANS FOR BIASING SAID ROTATABLE ELEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION ALONG THE AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE TO PLACE SAID CAMMING FACES IN A DIFFERENT PLANE FROM SAID STEM, AND MEANS RELEASABLY INTERCONNECTED WITH SAID DIAL PLATE BY THE BIAS OF SAID OTHER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO ENABLE THE MANUAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ROTATABLE ELEMENT ALONG SAID SPINDLE AXIS WHILE BEING RELEASED FROM SAID DIAL PLATE TO PLACE SAID CAMMING FACES IN THE SAME PLANE AS SAID STEM WHEREAFTER SAID SPINDLE AND ELEMENT ARE ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED FOR ENGAGING ONE OF SAID CAMMING FACES WITH SAID STEM THEREBY TO CAM SAID VALVE INTO ITS OPEN POSITION AND ENABLE THE PASSAGE OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID INLET PASSAGE AND TURBINE CHAMBER TO SAID OUTLET. 